Warner’s statistics show marked decline in crime
By Camille Clarke (Guardian).Security Minister Jack Warner yesterday kept true to his promise and released his crime statistics for 2012. Yesterday’s figures were provided by the T&T Police Service’s DCP Mervyn Richardson. The information was made available through the Crime and Problem Analysis Branch (CAPA). According to CAPA data, there were 352 homicides in 2011 and 377 reported in 2012.
However, the statistics revealed that there was an overall decrease in murders from 547 in 2008 and 507 in 2009. The total of homicides that occurred between 2008 and 2012 is 2,256. The report also stated that there was an increase in sexual offences which rose at an alarming peak from a reported 709 in 2011 to 1,020 cases reported to the police last year.
Kidnappings also increased from 122 to 180. Burglaries was at an all time high at 5, 276 in 2008 but this was down to 4,262 in 2012. CAPA also reported a decline in larceny of vehicles to 1,029 which was 1,721 at its highest in 2009. Fraud offences were decreased from a high of 245 reported in 2008 to a reported 146 in 2012 and narcotic offences also decreased from 503 in 2008 to 428 last year.
Nonetheless, other serious crimes rose from 775 in 2008 when compared to 1,090 last year, CAPA stated. Northern Division lead in serious crimes with a total of 3,088 reports last year and Central not far behind with 3,071. Eastern Division was the lowest with 918 reports of serious crimes last year. Tobago recorded a total of 1,156 serious crimes in 2012.
The figures showed that altogether there was a 10 per cent reduction in serious crimes across both islands. The CAPA report claimed a total of 2,112 firearms were seized between 2008 and 2012. These consisted of revolvers, pistols, shotguns, submachine guns, rifles, air rifles, home-made shot guns, trap guns, flare guns and modified firearms.
With regard to road fatality figures, there were 188 reports compared with 262 in 2008. However, what is noteable is despite all the reports by CAPA, there was no information given on the police detection rate. On Monday, Warner claimed there was a decrease in serious crimes and homicides during this past year under the watch of the PP government.
Warner revealed the statistics after claims that “crime was making a slide, despite what the detractors in the Opposition PNM and certain sectors of the media were preaching.” The e-mail opened with this greeting from Richardson: “Happy New Year all and may the peace of God be upon you. Thank God there were no murders or serious woundings as a result of shootings for the past hours. There was however one suicide in the Guanapo-Arima area.”
Crime statistics 2008-2012
OFFENCES 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 TotalMURDER 547 507 473 352 377 2,256
WOUNDING/SHOOTING 729 685 623 535 568 3,140
SEXUAL OFFENCE 692 779 456 709 1,020 3,956
KIDNAPPING 143 160 119 122 180 724
BREAK-INS/BURGLARY 4,541 5,276 5,207 4,220 4,262 23,956
ROBBERY 4,721 6,086 5,075 3,718 4,356 23,956
FRAUD OFFENCES 245 264 198 225 146 1,078
GENERAL LARCENY 3,782 3,952 4,058 3,118 3,551 18,461
LARCENY M/VEHICLE 1,635 1,721 1,380 901 1,029 6,666
LARCENY D/HOUSE 426 609 625 481 526 2,667
NARCOTIC OFFENCES 503 521 499 486 428 2,437
OTHER SERIOUS CRIME 775 923 905 1,010 1,090 4,703
TOTAL 18,739 21,933 19,918 15,877 17,533 94,000
Serious crime by divisions 2008-2012
Division 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Port-of-Spain 3,168 3,286 3,007 2,239 2,487
Southern 3,200 3,312 2,880 2,528 3,072
Western 1,904 2,197 1,839 1,350 1,424
Northern 3,506 4,600 4,151 3,421 3,088
Central 2,400 3,076 3,061 2,351 3,071
South Western 1,333 1,298 1,401 998 979
Eastern 1,079 1,324 1,063 746 918
North Eastern 1,092 1,825 1,589 1,305 1,338
Tobago 1,057 1,015 927 939 1,156
Serious crime by divisions 2008-2012
Firearms seized (2008 to 2012):2012 391
2011 425
2010 382
2009 482
2008 432
Road Fatalities (2008 to 2012):2008 262
2009 222
2010 206
2011 181
2012 188